CAPTAIN COOIC*S FIRST VOYAGE.

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gentlemen in this excurfion. Upon croffing a little river Mr. Banks perceiving fomeducks, fired, and killed three. The Indians were ftruck with the utmoft terror at thisevent, which occalioned them to fall fuddenly to the ground, as if they had been (hotat the fame time; they recovered, however, prefently from their fright, and continuedtheir march. Before this party had gone much further, they were alarmed by thedifcharge of two pieces, fired by the tent-guard. Owhaw, after calling together thecaptain’s party, difperfed all the Indians except three, who broke branches of trees, aspledges of their fidelity. Upon their return to the tent, it appeared, that an Indian hadtaken an opportunity to fnatch away one of the centinel’s mufquets; whereupon ayoung midfhipman, under whofe command the party was, very imprudently orderedthe marines to fire, which they did immediately amongft the thickefl of the fugitiveIndians, in number above a hundred, feveral of whom were wounded ; but as thecriminal did not fall, they purfued and fhot him dead.

When Mr. Banks heard of the affair, he was greatly difpleafed with the guard, andhe ufed his utmoft endeavours to accommodate the difference; and through the media-tion of an old man, prevailed on many of the natives to come over to them, bringingplantain-trees, their ufual fignal of peace, and clapping their hands on their breads,they cried Tyau, which fignifies friendfhip.

Few of the natives appeared next morning upon the beach, and not one of themcame on board. From hence Mr. Banks and the other gentlemen concluded, thattheir apprehenfions were not entirely removed, more efpecially as even Owhaw hadforfaken them. The captain, in confequence of thefe difagreeable appearances, broughtthe fhip nearer to fhore, and moored her fo as to make her broadfide bear on the lpotwhich had been marked for erecting the fort. The captain went on fhore in theevening, with fome of the gentlemen, when the Indians affembled round them, andthey trafficked together in a friendly manner.

The fort began to be erected on the 18th. Some of the company were employedin throwing up intrenchments, whilft others were occupied in cutting fafcines andpickets, which the Indians of their own accord cheerfully affifted in bringing from theWoods. Three fides of the fort were fortified with intrenchments and pallifades; andon the other, which was flanked by a river, the water-cafks being filled, were placed fons to form a breaft-work.

This day the natives brought down fuch quantities of bread-fruit and cocoa-nuts,that it was neceflary to reject them, and to intimate to them, that the company wouldnot want any for two days. Beads were trafficked this day for every thing. Mr.Banks ’s tent being got up, he, for the firft time, flept on fhore. No Indian attemptedto approach it the whole night; however, a precaution had been taken to place properSentinels about it.

Mr. Monkhoufe, the furgeon, faid he had feen, in his evening walk, the body of then>an who had been fhot at the tent. It was depofited in a fhed, clofe to the houfe'"'here he had refided when alive. The corpfe was placed on a bier, the frame of whichWas wood, with a matted bottom, fupported by ports about five feet high. The corpfeWas covered with a mat, and over that a white cloth ; by its fide lay a wooden mace,and towards the head two cocoa-nut fhells ; towards the feet was a bunch of greene aves and fmall dried boughs, tied together and ftuck in the ground, near which wasa ftone the fize of a cocoa nut: here was alfo placed a young plaintain-tree and a ftonea xe.^ The natives feemed difpleafed at his approaching the body.

f hey had a fpecimen of the mufic of the country on the 22d ; fome of the nativesperforming on flutes, which had only two flops; they were blown like the German‘ V0L - XI. 3 T flute,